Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I know...... you all don't really like to think about getting ready for winter (at least those of you that live in the cold parts of our nation). But, if you don't want busted radiators or engine blocks in your restored tractor, this is a must do! You need to make sure that the old tractor radiator and engine is full of good ol' antifreeze! I know it's not entirely the same, but I forgot to drain the main trunk of my in-ground sprinkling system last winter and paid the price in the spring with a broken main feed line to the system. Not quite the same as a radiator or engine block but busted just the same!

It's easy to forget or even procrastinate to the point of forgetting to invoke the proper maintenance going into winter and it'll cost you plenty if you do. There are a tremendous amount of old antique tractor collectors that do not have the luxury of a heated storage building and they need to take the necessary precautions.

Having said that, I envy those of you who have the warmer climates in some of the southern states and can still get out and run your equipment. Up here in northern Indiana, it is very hard to have fun outside on your old tractor. I mean you still can, but it for sure is not as comfortable!

If you are one of the lucky ones that does live in the south and you have an event that you can go to, I'd like to know some more details about that event. I'll get in posted on Fastrac, my antique tractor information support group website. Just leave a comment with the info here on the blog and I'll get it put on the events pages of the site. You can also e-mail me the details at: dave@adeptr.com

I'm getting ready to settle in for the winter and I'll get my fill of antique tractoring this winter by working with the website and this blog. When spring rolls around, I'll be tired of writing and be more than ready to start heading out to the shows again up here in the north.

Good thing I have developed patience over the years......the older I get, the longer the winters seem to be getting. The winter will be tolerable however, if I can end up in the spring with no holes in the block.

About Me

I was born in 1944 and raised on central Indiana farms until the age of 14. My family moved into the city at that time and I have been longing for the country life ever since. I'm a former engineering director for a mid-sized plastic extrusion company and retired at the end of March, 2009.